CultNEWS101 Articles: 10/2/2025

Documentary,  Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi, Legal,  Community of Jesus,  La Luz del Mundo

OSV News: New Maciel documentary a 'cathartic' experience, Legionaries head says

" A new documentary on the life and crimes of Father Marcial Maciel Degollado was another chance for members of the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi to confront the truth of their founder's dark past and the suffering inflicted on innocent victims, said Father John Connor, general director of the congregation.

In a letter to members of Legionaries of Christ published online Sept. 16, Father Connor said he and other Legionaries who watched the HBO docuseries "Marcial Maciel: The Wolf of God," saw it as "a cathartic experience" that "challenges us to face our history again."

'In this humiliation lies a grace'

"In this very humiliation lies a grace," he wrote. "The Lord frees us from institutional and personal pride by allowing us to inhabit a history marked by contradiction. The memory of our founder's sins and their impact on the institution he founded is not simply a call to justice and reparation — which are necessary — but also a divine pedagogy that preserves us from the temptation to boast about our works.

The documentary, which premiered on HBO Aug. 14, delved into the history of the founder's disturbing past, including his abuse of minor seminarians, his addiction to pain medication, as well as his double life with a young woman with whom he fathered children and whom he also sexually abused.

A significant portion of the four-part docuseries also centered on revelations made public in 2024 that Maciel's crimes were known by the Vatican as far back as the 1950s.

According to the archives of Pope Pius XII, opened in 2020, the Vatican was poised to take action against Maciel in 1956 and planned to remove him from the priesthood. However, upon Pius XII's death in 1958, Maciel's allies took advantage of the leadership vacuum to clear his name, The Associated Press reported."

Provincetown  Independent: 14 Ex-Residents Detail Coercion at Orleans Commune

"In his lawsuit filed in federal court on July 16, Oliver Ortolani, 18, described the Community of Jesus (COJ), a religious commune in Rock Harbor with about 200 members, as a group that demanded "absolute obedience," separated children from their parents, subjected children to forced labor, and broke down its members emotionally using "psychological coercion."

Jeffrey Robbins, the COJ's lawyer, has said that Ortolani's lawsuit is "not only frivolous" but "borderline fraudulent."

Fourteen other people who spent time at the COJ from its founding in 1970 to as recently as 2018 told the Independent that Ortolani's characterization of the community is consistent with their experiences there.

"There wasn't a single thing that I read that I thought was excessive," said Todd Lynch, 50, who left the COJ in 1997.

"Obedience is the highest virtue, not kindness, not anything — it's obedience," said Dianne Wentworth, 77, who left the COJ after 35 years in 2010.

Ortolani claimed in court documents that beginning when he was 11, the COJ's leaders forced him and other boys in the community to perform unpaid labor in grueling conditions "for almost two years" to help build a performing arts center in Brewster for Arts Empowering Life, a COJ-affiliated nonprofit. The boys often worked six days a week, 9 to 16 hours per day, and were deprived of a proper education, the lawsuit claims.

Ortolani also claimed that he was encouraged not to have contact with his biological parents and was subjected to group sessions designed to shame and humiliate those who broke the rules "to the point where they break down and beg for forgiveness."

Robbins has said that both Ortolani and his mother signed release forms that clearly affirmed that Ortolani was volunteering his labor, and that his father, Dave Ortolani, was supervising his work at the construction site.

The 14 ex-residents described experiences similar to Ortolani's, including ritual humiliation, family separation, and a community-wide program of constant labor. Ten of the 14 claimed they were forced to work as children."

BBC: Megachurch leader pleads not guilty to sex trafficking charges

"The leader of Mexico-based evangelical megachurch La Luz del Mundo (Light of the World) has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking charges in a court in New York.

Naasón Joaquín García, 56, is already serving a 16-year sentence after he admitted in court in California to sexually abusing girls from his congregation.

In a newly unsealed indictment, prosecutors allege that García, his mother, and four of their associates used the church for sex trafficking women and children to the US.

The accused have denied all the charges, which García's lawyer said was "a rehashing of old, recycled claims that have been made before, scrutinized before, and ultimately debunked and disproven before".

A fundamentalist Christian organisation, La Luz del Mundo, was founded in Mexico in 1926 by García's grandfather, Eusebio Joaquín González.

Church followers regard García as "the Apostle of Jesus Christ," and many have remained loyal to him even after he pleaded guilty to abusing underage girls in Los Angeles in 2022.

Although its headquarters are in Mexico, the church says it has millions of followers worldwide.

Independent membership figures are hard to come by. Still, its influence is strong in parts of California that have large Hispanic populations, which García often visited before his arrest there in 2019."

CultNEWS101 Articles: 9/11/2025

Legionaries of Christ, His Way Spirit Led Assemblies, Sister Wives

CNA: Update: Legionaries of Christ comment on HBO series exposing sordid life of founder

"A new HBO series on Marcial Maciel has once again placed the spotlight on the founder of the Legionaries of Christ and the complaints of sexual abuse against him.

The congregation in Rome confirmed to ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, that it had known about the production for years and agreed to be interviewed to address their past and show the changes the order has undertaken since the scandal."

" ... The HBO Max documentary series examines the career of the founder of the Legionaries of Christ.

Maciel was considered a charismatic leader and effective fundraiser for decades, but it was later revealed that he had sexually abused at least 60 minors, battled addiction to a morphine derivative, led a hidden double life, and had at least one daughter.

The first season of the series directed by Matías Gueilburt consists of four episodes. The first, set in the 1940s in Mexico, chronicles the founding of the Legionaries of Christ and the initial warning signs about Maciel, which were ignored.

The second episode, set in the 1950s, describes the Legion's expansion to Spain and Italy, as well as the start of investigations after the first reports of abuse and his addiction to a morphine derivative became known."

KTLA: Former member shares details on cult-like religious group at center of SoCal missing persons case

A former member of an alleged cult-like religious group in Riverside County is speaking out as the disappearance of Emilio Ghanem, last seen in 2023, is now being investigated as a possible murder. Ghanem, 40, was reported missing in May 2023. He was a former member of the Hemet-based group "His Way Spirit Led Assemblies." Ghanem had spent the previous two decades as a devout member, working at Fullshield Inc., now known as Maxguard. In April 2023, Ghanem left both the religious group and MaxGuard, moving to Nashville, Tennessee, to be with his family. His sisters say he started his own pest control company in Nashville and returned to SoCal to open a satellite office, aiming to regain some old clients.

US Weekly: Sister Wives' Christine Brown Admits She Was 'In a Cult,' Raised Her Kids in 1 Before Leaving Kody

"Christine Brown is opening up about losing her religion — and raising her family in what she says was a "cult" — in her new, tell-all memoir.

In the prologue for Sister Wife: A Memoir of Faith, Family and Finding Freedom, out now, Christine, 53, asked herself, "But was I in a cult?"

She acknowledged that her religious belief, what she described as a "version of fundamentalist, polygamist Mormon" faith, can be considered to be a cult by many in the outside world, but confessed, "If I was, I'm glad of it."

Christine, whose grandfather led the Apostolic United Brethren starting in 1954, explained, "I come from a family and a community filled with talent, nurturing and love and women who had the support and ability to make good decisions for themselves."

While she went willingly into her own plural marriage with Kody Brown in 1994, as she looked back at her upbringing and the idea of polygamy, Christine determined that her life before divorce was in fact a cult."

Yahoo: Maple Yip to release autobiography of her time in religious cult JMS

"Maple Yip, one of the survivors of the controversial religious group Christian Gospel Mission, also known as Jesus Morning Star (JMS), has announced that she will be releasing an autobiography, detailing her experiences in the cult.

As reported on Mingpao, Maple, who is also the wife of singer-actor Alex Fong, announced the news on Threads, stating that she will be releasing the book, (loosely translated as "Trace"), which will further detail her life inside and outside of JMS in hopes it would serve as a warning to the public.

"You might be thinking, 'This story has already been told in the documentary 'In the Name of God' and its sequel 'The Echoes of Survivors,' so why publish another book to recount all this? After watching the documentary, you may still have many questions. You may feel that cults and sexual abuse are far from you. I believe this is because you don't fully understand my experience," she wrote.

"This book details my journey from conversion at age 16 or 17, through brainwashing, quitting the cult, and ultimately filing a lawsuit. I hope that by documenting that painful period, I can sort out my thoughts and seek healing. I hope that reading my experience will help you realise, 'Oh, if I continue like this, I might go astray,' and learn from it to avoid being hurt."

Maple said that there are many other manipulative groups in society that one can unknowingly fall into, and that she hopes that people can escape, or help those who are caught up in them."

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

CultMediation.com   

Intervention101.com to help families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexity of a loved one's cult involvement.

CultRecovery101.com assists group members and their families make the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice.

CultNEWS101 Articles: 7/3/2025

Legion of Christ, Internal Family Systems, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh

Los Angeles Press: New cases of abuse at the Legion of Christ: Zero-tolerance is a slogan

The takeaway of the most recent cases of clergy sexual abuse at the Legion of Christ: their zero-tolerance promises are nothing but a slogan.

"This year, one case of clergy sexual abuse in Spain and another in Mexico, both from priests associated to the Legion of Christ, offer a painful reminder of how far the Catholic Church is from achieving its stated goals of a "zero-tolerance" policy on clergy sexual abuse.

Marcelino de Andrés and Antonio Cabrera are both Spaniard Catholic priests and both belong to cohorts of the order who went through seminary formation while Marcial Maciel was a key figure in Rome. His position there allowed him to expand his order's and its supplemental organization, the Regnum Christi's reach, where both male and female members are able to join and where abuse, sexual and otherwise, has also been reported.

After Maciel's death in 2008, De Andrés's career happened mostly in Spain, while Cabrera's was primarily in Mexico. Cabrera, ordained in 1988, is a bit older than De Andrés, who was ordained in 1996, but their paths followed similar trajectories. Their cases emerge as the Legion attempts to portray itself as less disloyal to Rome than its Spaniard and Peruvian counterparts, Opus Dei and the suppressed Sodalitium of Christian Life.

Despite the new cases, the Legion has been boasting its adherence to a zero-tolerance policy as it happens with too many other orders and dioceses in the Catholic Church ever since the early years of this century.

The accusations against De Andrés and Cabrera are relevant because they come from the cohorts closest to the Legion's discredited founder, and they emerge after 20 years or so of the Legion and the Catholic Church at large talking about zero-tolerance to clergy sexual abuse."

The Nation: Internal Family Systems is the latest therapy trend for a traumatized United States. But can splitting ourselves into parts be a science?

" ... Schwartz was practicing one of the fundamental techniques of IFS therapy, which is to locate specific feelings within the physical body. Through this technique, IFS promises to "heal trauma" and "restore wholeness," while also helping to treat more discernible diseases like addiction and depression. In his 1995 book Internal Family Systems Therapy, Schwartz describes IFS as "a synthesis of two paradigms: the plural mind, or the idea that we all contain many different parts, and systems thinking"—but a more apt description might be that IFS is a combination of Jung, Freud, shamanism, Yogic theory, and Gestalt therapy, all jumbled together and simplified to make it as marketable as possible. Occasionally, Schwartz explicitly taps into other traditions. "In Buddhist terms," he writes, "IFS helps people become bodhisattvas of their psyches in the sense of helping each inner sentient being (part) become enlightened through compassion and love."

While IFS remained something of a niche therapy for much of its existence, it has, in recent years, gained enormous popularity on Instagram and TikTok and with celebrities ranging from the musician Alanis Morissette to Queer Eye's Jonathan Van Ness. ("The whole parts thing is really ferosh," Van Ness writes in his 2019 memoir, Over the Top.) Schwartz, who runs programming at one of Harvard University's teaching hospitals, has himself become a sought-after guest speaker at "healing retreats" around the world, and his books, You Are the One You've Been Waiting For (2018) and No Bad Parts (2021), have become bestsellers. When I reached out for an interview last fall, I was initially told I would have to wait until the third or fourth quarter of 2025."

" ... Some patients swear by the transformative power of this cosmology. "After taking this IFS Self-healing journey with my parts," one patient turned provider writes on her website, "I found my true Self—someone who can show up for me like a hero. Someone who champions my right to be free, spontaneous, seen, cared for, loved, cherished, enjoyed just as I am." For such devotees, IFS offers nothing less than a path to self-empowerment, self-love, and, crucially, through its emphasis on "no bad parts," freedom from shame. It also offers an encompassing, at times even spiritual worldview—or as the patient turned provider writes, IFS is simultaneously a "psychotherapeutic approach, a working model of the mind, and a lifestyle."

Amid this exuberance, however, some have sounded a note of caution. In an article in the Psychotherapy Bulletin, the researchers Lisa M. Brownstone, Madeline J. Hunsicker, and Amanda K. Greene write that "the current expansion of IFS across psychotherapy and social media has moved beyond its evidence base." The authors note that the existing research on IFS excludes people with psychotic symptoms, even as they warn, based on their own observations in clinical settings, of the "overapplication" of IFS to people with such symptoms: "Our concern is that encouraging splitting of the self into parts for those who struggle with reality testing might be disorganizing."

The American Psychological Association has noted the rise of IFS. In an e-mailed statement, Lynn Bufka, the association's head of practice, said, 'APA recently adopted a new guideline on the treatment of PTSD, where scientists reviewed treatment research extensively. IFS was noted as one of the interventions that is currently being used, but is in need of much more research before they could make a recommendation about its effectiveness.'"

Woman's Day: Ex-followers reveal truth behind charismatic gurus

"Enlightenment, freedom and belonging were just three of the promises Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh promised his thousands of followers. But in return, they had to pay several thousand dollars to take his courses or for the privilege of living and working at his Oregon ashram.

Rajneesh, also known as Osho, was one of the most famous and controversial spiritual leaders of the past century. Blending an ideology of free love, dynamic meditation and Eastern philosophy in the 1960s and '70s, he attracted worshippers from across the world to his Indian ashram in Pune. Then when the organisation grew to host around 30,000 visitors and faced investigation by the Indian government, a much larger commune was opened in the US.

This vast former ranch in Oregon was transformed into a New Age utopia where the "orange people", as they were called due to the colour of their robes, lived collectively. They worked on the land, grew organic food, raised children, practised meditation and listened to their guru's 90-minute daily discourses. But the idyll they hoped for had turned sinister by the mid '80s, when disputes among the commune leaders led to accusations of conspiracies, widespread poisoning and wire-tapping.

A plot to assassinate Oregon's state attorney was uncovered and Rajneesh – who famously had an incredible fleet of 93 Rolls-Royce cars – came under scrutiny and was deported from the US for immigration fraud. Years later, children who grew up on the commune would tell of widespread sexual abuse by the adult members of what is now widely believed to have been a cult."

Their followers were hoping for enlightenment but were caught up in something far darker."

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

CultNEWS101 Articles: 3/25/2025 (Jehovah's Witnesses, Legal, Brazil, Legionaries of Christ, Book Review, 764)

Jehovah's Witnesses, Legal, Brazil, Legionaries of Christ, Book Review, 764

Correio: Former Jehovah's Witnesses prepare lawsuit against religious organization in Brazil

"Former members of Jehovah's Witnesses are gathering documents to sue the religious organization in Brazil, accusing it of practices such as covering up cases of pedophilia, pressuring people to avoid higher education, public humiliation and what they call "inducing suicide" — referring to the prohibition of blood transfusions, even in life-threatening situations. The lawsuit, which could include up to 28 dissidents, seeks compensation for moral damages. The information was released in a report by UOL.

Among the main complaints is the practice of ostracism, which forces believers to cut ties with family and friends who leave the religion. This policy led Norway to cancel the church's registration in the country in 2021, a fact that inspired Brazilian dissidents to seek similar measures here. "It's as if I had been buried alive," says Ester Lopes Bueno, 42, who has not spoken to her family since leaving the church in 2019.

Reports of sexual abuse are also common among former members. Psychologist Lucas Vasconcelos, 24, claims he was molested at age 15 by a church leader who made him drunk until he lost consciousness. When he woke up, he says he found marks of abuse on his body. Journalism student Mirela Costa, 25, reports having been sexually abused at ages 10 and 12 by two church members and says she was not treated as a victim. "The second time, they asked me if I wasn't in love with the abuser," she says.

The organization, in turn, denies the accusations. In a statement, it stated that it considers sexual abuse "a malicious and repugnant act" and that it complies with the law by reporting cases to the authorities. Regarding ostracism, it argues that "followers should limit contact with the person who is removed from the congregation." Regarding the prohibition of blood transfusions, spokesman Laércio Ninelli highlighted that the practice is based on "biblical instruction" and has been recognized as a right by the Supreme Federal Court (STF).

Another point of conflict is the devaluation of higher education. The organization discourages believers from attending college, claiming that this could expose them to "moral and spiritual dangers." Lara Prado, 27, who left the church at 23, regrets not having followed her dream of studying history or journalism. "I lost everyone I knew. And, most of all, I lost my mother. She is alive, but she treats me as if I were dead," she says.

The lawsuit is also expected to address the ban on blood transfusions, which the dissidents call "inducing suicide." Jacira Araújo, 72, showed a notarized document in which she renounces the procedure. "I have legalized my death in a notarized document. This is a sacrifice of life," she said. Ninelli countered, stating that refusing a transfusion is a guaranteed right and that the church does not induce suicide.

The organization maintains its position, stating that the accusations come from "people making false and slanderous statements." Meanwhile, former members remain mobilized, seeking justice and reparations for the impacts they claim to have suffered."

Readers House: Kevin O'Sullivan Shares His Journey of Resilience, Writing, and Psychological Insight

"From Ireland to Australia: A Journey of Self-Discovery

Kevin O'Sullivan discusses his literary journey, from A Good Boy to Cheaper than Therapy, sharing insights on storytelling, psychology, resilience, and the power of reclaiming one's narrative through writing.

Kevin O'Sullivan is a writer of remarkable depth and honesty, a storyteller who weaves together personal history, psychological insight, and an unflinching curiosity about the human experience. His work spans poetry, memoir, and fiction, each piece infused with a profound understanding of the resilience of the human spirit. Born and raised in Ireland, Kevin's journey has taken him across continents—from the strict confines of a religious order to the liberating landscapes of Australia, where he now calls home.

His memoir A Good Boy (Atelier Books, 2022) is an extraordinary account of survival, self-discovery, and the courage to break free from an oppressive past. In it, he recounts his early years in the Legionaries of Christ and his eventual escape, a story that is both deeply personal and universally resonant. His forthcoming second volume, Cheaper than Therapy, promises to be just as compelling, chronicling the formative years that shaped his path as a psychologist and writer.

Beyond his literary pursuits, Kevin has spent decades as a clinical and forensic psychologist, bringing the same depth of empathy and understanding to his therapeutic work as he does to his writing. His insight into the human psyche, shaped by both personal trials and professional expertise, makes his reflections on belief, resilience, and identity especially compelling."

The Fifth Estate: Exposing 764: On the trail of an extremist 'cult' of online predators (video)

"'764/ is a global cult of online predators — many are teenagers targeting vulnerable children. They coerce minors to self-harm and have even plotted acts of mass violence. Police are struggling to contain what's being called a growing terror threat."

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

CultMediation.com   

Intervention101.com to help families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexity of a loved one's cult involvement.

CultRecovery101.com assists group members and their families make the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice.

CultNEWS101.com news, links, resources about: cults, cultic groups, abusive relationships, movements, religions, political organizations, and related topics.

Facebook

Flipboard

Twitter

Instagram

The selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not mean that Patrick Ryan or Joseph Kelly agree with the content. We provide information from many points of view to promote dialogue.

Please forward articles that you think we should add to cultintervention@gmail.com.

Thanks,

Ashlen Hilliard (ashlen.hilliard.wordpress@gmail.com)

Joe Kelly (joekelly411@gmail.com)

Patrick Ryan (pryan19147@gmail.com)

CultNEWS101 Articles: 3/9/2023 (Mennonite, Women, Abuse, Polygamist, The Legionaries of Christ, Unification Church)

Mennonite, Women, Abuse, Polygamist, The Legionaries of Christ, Unification Church

American Magazine: 'Women Talking' is the Oscar nominee every Catholic needs to see

"The Oscar-nominated film "Women Talking" begins in a revelation of horror: The girls and women of a rural Mennonite community are being systematically drugged and raped in the night. The men of the community insist that their attackers are ghosts and demons, and as bizarre as that sounds, the women have accepted it. Then a child catches sight of one of the community's men as he assaults a woman. Soon an entire group of men is arrested.

Rather than stand by their mothers, wives and daughters, the men of the community leave to bail the perpetrators out, telling the women they have two days to come around to forgiving their attackers for what they have done. As a group, the women must decide how to proceed—"forgive" (i.e., do nothing); stay and fight back; or leave the community forever.

"Women Talking" is an exploration of the way that religion can be used to imprison people—and what's worse, to teach them to imprison themselves."

Missoulian: After escaping 'religious cult', Montana woman faces new challenges with honeyberry farm

"Melissa Allred is out to set examples with her life story, but it hasn't been easy.

First and foremost, she's out to prove she's a successful agricultural entrepreneur who can overcome obstacles and severe setbacks. She wants to be a leader in demonstrating that honeyberries can be a viable commercial  crop in Montana. Also called haskap, honeyberries are a sweet, juicy fruit that, although native to North America, haven't been cultivated on a wide scale in Montana.

Second, and more importantly, Allred wants to prove that women who come from psychologically abusive situations can find freedom.

Allred, who escaped from what she calls a "polygamist religious cult" that she was born into — where she was groomed to marry into a plural marriage and submit to her husband and the church — now owns and operates the largest honeyberry farm in Montana."

ReGAIN: Undiscerned Sexuality and Vocation in the Legion of Christ/Regnum Christi: Recent Testimony

"Kevin O'Sullivan spent seven years inside the most secretive Catholic organisation in living memory – The Legionaries of Christ. He thought he was going to spread love and compassion: he ended up among disinformation and lies. He fled to save his sanity.

This is the story of how Kevin found, and then lost, his religion, and how he lost, and then found, his sexuality. On the way, the young teenager clings to what his mother has taught him: to be a good boy. The journey brings him face to face with difficult truths, and ultimately to a far deeper knowledge of himself, as he finds out who he doesn't want to be.

It's a story full of hope about discovering what matters to each of us, even if we don't like some of what we find."

SBS Dateline: The Unification Church: Some call it a cult, others say the church's aim is world peace

"The Unification Church, a powerful religious group commonly derided as 'The Moonies', is under investigation for its role in Japanese politics following the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Some call it a cult, while others say the church's aim is world peace."

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

CultEducationEvents.com

CultMediation.com   

Intervention101.com to help families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexity of a loved one's cult involvement.

CultRecovery101.com assists group members and their families make the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice.

CultNEWS101.com news, links, resources.

Facebook

Flipboard

Twitter

Instagram

Cults101.org resources about cults, cultic groups, abusive relationships, movements, religions, political organizations and related topics.

Selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not mean that Patrick Ryan or Joseph Kelly agree with the content. We provide information from many points of view in order to promote dialogue.

Please forward articles that you think we should add to cultintervention@gmail.com.

Thanks,

Ashlen Hilliard (ashlen.hilliard.wordpress@gmail.com)

Joe Kelly (joekelly411@gmail.com)

Patrick Ryan (pryan19147@gmail.com)

If you do not wish to be subscribed to this list, or you think you are being maliciously subscribed to the list, or have any other questions, send them to: pryan19147@gmail.com or send an email to: cultnews101+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

Undiscerned Sexuality and Vocation in the Legion of Christ/Regnum Christi: Recent Testimony

ReGAIN

"Kevin O’Sullivan spent seven years inside the most secretive Catholic organisation in living memory – The Legionaries of Christ. He thought he was going to spread love and compassion: he ended up among disinformation and lies. He fled to save his sanity.

This is the story of how Kevin found, and then lost, his religion, and how he lost, and then found, his sexuality. On the way, the young teenager clings to what his mother has taught him: to be a good boy. The journey brings him face to face with difficult truths, and ultimately to a far deeper knowledge of himself, as he finds out who he doesn’t want to be.

It’s a story full of hope about discovering what matters to each of us, even if we don’t like some of what we find."

https://regainnetwork.org/2023/02/25/undiscerned-sexuality-and-vocation-in-the-legion-of-christ-regnum-christi-recent-testimony/

Judge acquits Legion priests in abuse-linked extortion case

AP

October 3, 2022

ROME (AP) — A judge in Milan on Monday acquitted five members of the Legion of Christ religious order and their lawyers of attempted extortion in a case in which they were accused of offering to pay the family of a sexual abuse victim to lie to prosecutors.

Four of the five were also absolved of obstruction of justice charges because the statute of limitations expired, while a fifth was acquitted outright, said Daniela Cultrera, the lawyer for the victim’s family.

The investigation was an offshoot of a case in which Italy’s highest court last year upheld the conviction and 6 1/2-year prison sentence for a defrocked Legion priest, Vladimir Resendiz, for sexually abusing boys at the Legion’s youth seminary in northern Italy.

That case was sparked in 2013 when one of Resendiz’s victims confided in his therapist about the abuse he suffered while he was in middle school at the seminary. The therapist informed law enforcement authorities, who opened the probe.

Prosecutors alleged the Legion hierarchy in Italy and their lawyers offered the family of the victim 15,000 euros in exchange for a settlement agreement in which the son ruled out having been abused by Resendiz and regardless didn’t remember. It said if the family members were ever called to testify, they were to make the same declarations, denying the abuse that they had already reported to prosecutors.

The family refused to sign and reported the offer to law enforcement.

At the time the offers were made, the Legion was emerging from years of Vatican-mandated reform following revelations that the founder of the Mexico-based order was a religious fraud who sexually abused his seminarians and built a secretive, cult-like order to hide his crimes.

https://apnews.com/article/religion-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-statutes-8d0f554d267b1e9a86c433a7766f4166

ICSA Annual Conference: Catholic Cults in our Midst? Catholic orders and movements accused of being cult-like

ICSA Annual Conference: Catholic Cults in our Midst? Catholic orders and movements accused of being cult-like

J. Paul Lennon; Saturday, June 25, 2022; 2:00 PM-2:50 PM – online

Many will be unaware of “Catholic Cults in our Midst”. The movements described in the presentation will not admit it if questioned, usually claiming official Church approval. But if we apply the classic Cult Characteristic List to a series of Catholic communities and movements, most of them officially approved, we will begin to wonder, to question and to be on guard. Beside the better-known organizations such as Opus Dei, Legionaries of Christ/ Regnum Christi Federation, Neo-Catechumenal, Charismatics, Focolarini … we will discover some lesser-known but important groups active in the Americas and in Europe, in all cases covering their foundation, influence, cult-like features and official church interventions. Q&A period to follow the presentation.

• Conference Information
• Agenda
• Conference Registration

J. Paul Lennon
Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, J. Paul Lennon, STL, MA, LPC, Board member, Regain Network co-founder (Religious Groups Awareness International Network). Mr. Lennon was a Legionary of Christ brother from 1961 to 1969 and an LC priest from 1969 to 1984, living in Spain, Rome, U.S. and Mexico. He served as a Diocesan priest from 1985 to 1989 and received an MA in Counseling from the Catholic University of America in 1989. He worked as a Child and Family Therapist in Arlington, Virginia, U.S.A. for 13 years, serving mostly Spanish-language clients. In 2008 he published a memoir, “Our Father Maciel who art in bed, A Naive and Sentimental Dubliner in the Legion of Christ”. After retirement he moved to Guatemala with his wife, where he continues to study, write, and speak on his favorite topics: Legion of Christ, Regnum Christi, Harmful Catholic and Christian Groups, sexual, emotional, and spiritual abuse, situation of the Catholic Church, etc. He speaks fluent English and Spanish, can converse in Italian, and understands some French. https://regainnetwork.org/

CultNEWS101 Articles: 2/3/2022 (Bhakti Marga, Swami Vishwananda, Podcast, Germany, Islamic Marriage Laws, Conspiracy Theories)

Legionaries of Christ,Clergy Sexual Abuse, Pope Benedict XVI, Podcast, Transcendental Meditation (TM), Christian Science, Spirit Life Bible College, Prosperity Gospel, Mormonism, Conversion Therapies, NXIVM, Hare Krishna

Globe and Mail: Former Pope Benedict denies knowing about Legionaries of Christ abuse when cardinal

"Former Pope Benedict XVI denied that he was given information about child abuse in the Legionaries of Christ religious order when he was a top Vatican official, in a case that has tarnished the reputation of his predecessor, John Paul II.

Founded by Mexican cleric Marcial Maciel in 1941, the Legionaries of Christ order was heavily favored during the conservative papacy of John Paul II, who praised Maciel's work in reaching out to and evangelizing young people.

Maciel turned out to be one of the Catholic Church's most notorious pedophiles, even abusing children he had fathered secretly with at least two women while living a double life and being feted by the Vatican and Church conservatives.

The former pope's denial was made to Germany's Die Zeit newspaper in response to allegations it had published from filmmaker Christoph Roehl, who said he had found evidence that two Chilean priests had presented the then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger with a dossier listing abuse victims in the order.

At the time, Ratzinger was head of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith and John Paul II's right-hand man, the Polish pope's ideological and doctrinal enforcer."

IndoctriNation: Parental Paradox w/ Jon Sawyer

"Jon Sawyer was raised in two homes influenced by both high-demand religion and secular worldviews. Prior to his parent's divorce at the age of four, his family was involved with both Transcendental Meditation (TM) and Christian Science. Shortly after his parent's divorce, his mother took a secular route, while his father converted to Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity. While Jon's father sprinkled elements of TM and Christian Science into his childhood, his dad's newfound evangelical Christian faith fixated on the end of the world, divine healing, speaking in tongues, and the "prosperity gospel." When Jon was fifteen, he converted to Mormonism. From the age of fifteen to thirty-five, Jon was involved with various high-demand religious groups that were associated with both charismatic Christianity and Mormonism. As a teen who was deeply conflicted about his attraction to the same sex, Jon attended the now-defunct Spirit Life Bible College (SLBC)-associated with Roberts Liardon Ministries-in Orange County, CA. While at SLBC, Jon experienced multiple sessions of exorcism and conversion therapies that were aimed at "healing" his sexual identity. When Jon was twenty-six, he became involved with Sovereign Grace Churches: a group that began during the charismatic Jesus Movement of the 1970s and eventually adopted a neo-Calvinist theology that emphasized strict gender roles and courtship practices. Jon separated from organized religion six years ago, at the age of 35. Since that time, Jon has benefited from somatic therapy, completed both a BA and MA in education, and is currently a doctoral student and researcher at the University of Colorado Boulder. Partly due to the influence of his experiences with high-demand religious groups, Jon now studies the intersection of education policy and anti-discrimination law.

A Little Bit Culty: SEASON 3 EPISODE 2: Silver Fox: Mark Vicente Part 2

"It sure is good to see Mark Vicente back in the saddle again. In Part 2, he shares what happened during his last conversation with Keith Raniere, how he's defragged his brain since he helped burn ol' Dead Eyes' playhouse down, and what the bleep he's working on next. Oh, and there is bountiful ass-chapping."

The Cult Vault: ISKCON - The Hare Krishna Movement

"In this episode we have our first interview with someone who has experienced The International Society for Krishna Consciousness with Michael giving us a deep look into many types of Religion and Spirituality and a particularly problematic place to partake in the Hare Krishna Group called "The Mantra Lounge"."

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

CultEducationEvents.com

CultMediation.com   

Intervention101.com to help families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexity of a loved one's cult involvement.

CultRecovery101.com assists group members and their families make the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice.

CultNEWS101.com news, links, resources.

Facebook

Flipboard

Twitter

Instagram

Cults101.org resources about cults, cultic groups, abusive relationships, movements, religions, political organizations and related topics.

Selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not mean that Patrick Ryan or Joseph Kelly agree with the content. We provide information from many points of view in order to promote dialogue.

Please forward articles that you think we should add to cultintervention@gmail.com.